BRILLIANT CAPTURE OF TWO VILLAGES BY FRENCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16338, 19 September 1916, Page 7

BRILLIANT CAPTURE OF TWO VILLAGES BY FRENCH.

DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR FORTIFIED TRENCHES. ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS SHATTERED BY ARTILLERY FIRE RAIDS BY AVIATORS ON AERODROMES AND RAILWAYS. By Telegraph-Press Association—Copyright. Eout-er. 'Received 7.40 p.m.) PARIS. September 18. A communique states: " North of the Somme our artillery actively bombarded enemy works. "South of the Somme we gained important successes. The villages of Vermandovillers and Berny, which were previously partly occupied by us, were conquered by a brilliant assault. Some houses are still resisting, "All the ground between Vermandovillers and Deniecourt, east of Estrees, and between Deniecourt and Berny, which was defended by several systems of strongly-fortified trenches, fell into our hands after a desperate struggle. " The fighting continues around Deniecourt. " We captured a number of trenches between Beray and Barleux. "All the enemy counter-attacks were shattered by our fire, and the enemy sustained heavy loss. Seven hundred unwounded prisoners have been counted." An earlier communique states: "We dropped 15 bombs on the hangars at Hatsheim, 230 on the railway station and aerodrome at Tergnier, 32 on the railway stations at Roisel, Epehy, and Athies, and on the railways at Ham and St. Quentin.''